Refrigerating apparatus



wbt/new C. W; MILES.

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS. APPucATloN FILED Aue.19. 191s.

Patented Oct. 7, 1919.

CASPER W. MILES, 0F ANDERSON TOWNSHIP, HAMILTON COUNTY, OHIO.

REFBIGERATING APPARATUS.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 7, 1919.

Application led August 19, 1916. Serial No. 115,839.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, CASPER W. MILES, a. citizen of the United States, residino' at Anderson township, in the county of amilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigcrating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in refrigerating apparatus and method of distiibution. Unc of its objects is to connect a plurality of refrigerating members to be operated together in one system. Another object is to provide for holding the temperature over in two or more refrigerator members where the apparatus is not in operation continuously. Another object is to provide for connecting two or more refrigerating members together in a refrigerating system with provision for regulating the temperature of or work done 4by the respective members, and also for cutting one or moreJ of said refrigeratin'g members out or partially out of circuit with the balance of the system. My invention also comprises certain details of form combination and procedure all of which will be fully set forth in the description of the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a diagram of an artificial refrigerating system, embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional detail through one of the refrigerator members.

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail illustrating a modification.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one of the preferred embodiments of my invention in which A represents one cold storage room or box to be refrigerated; B represents another cold storage box to be refrigerated and D represents an insulated brine tank in which ice molds E are to be placed to make artificial ice. F represents the ice'machine compressor and H the condenser.

Service lSuch as illustrated comprising one or more cold storage compartments and a compartment in which to manufacture ice are frequently required in hotels, hospitals yand similar institutions, and it is often desirable to operate the compressor for only a period of ten or twelve hours per day and to maintain substantially uniform temperatures in the storage and ice making compartment. It is also often desirable to maintain llow temperatures in one storage compartment and a relatively higher temperature in another. Heretoforc a cold lbrine circulation 'system has been employed and circulation of brine maintained continuously day and night.

In my improved apparatus I preferably employ a brine tank 2 in the compartment A, a brine tank 3 in the compartment B, and a 'brine tank 4 in the compartment D. In the tank 2 is placed a cooler member 5 of the flooded type, that is the liquefied refrigerant is contained therein in considerable quantity up to the liquid level line 6, and the refrigerating effect is due to the conversion of the liquid refrigerant to a gas or vapor therein, accompanied by the absorption of heat. The heat so absorbed is carried away by the gas or vapor which is conducted by a branch pipe 7 and trunk pipe 8 to a gas compressor F and compressed and then conducted `by pipe 30 to a condenser H, preferably of the ,concentric pipe variety where the heat is eX- tracted by condensing or cooling water supplied by pipe 9 and carried away through pipe 10. The gas supplied hot to the condenser when cooled returns to the liquid state and then Hows from the condenser through pipe 11 to a jacket 12 surrounding a section of the pipe 7 in which the cool gas is flowing to the compressor. In this jacket l2 the liquid refrigerant-I enters at substantially the temperature of the condensing Water, say eighty degrees F and leaves the jacket 12 at the temperature of the gas flowing to the compressor, say fifteen degrees above zero F. The liquid refrigerant from ljacket 12 flows through a pipe 14, which should 'be insulated and through a regulating valve l5 therein and enters the chamber 16, of the cooler 5.

By opening the regulating valve 15 to a sufficient extent more liquid refrigerant will be supplied to the cooler 5 than will be vaporized therein, and as soon as the liquid level rises sufliciently in cooler 5 the excess of liquid refrigerant will flow by a pipe 17 to the chamber of a similar cooler 18 located in the brine'tank 3, until a liquid level 19 therein is exceeded when the excess of liquid refrigerant will overflow fromV the cooler 18 through pipe 20 and enter the chamber of a similar cooler 21 located in the brinetank 4. The liquid level of refrigerant in cooler 21 is maintained at a substantially uniform.

point by regulation of the Avalve 15 so as to supply a quantity of liquid refrigerant to vterial correspondl to the rate of vaporization and ythe capacity of the compressor to take away the vapor formed. The pipes 17 and 20 should bev covered with heat insulating ma- It willbe noted that the liquid refrigerant flowing through the regulating valve 15 is of substantially the same temperature as that contained in the cooler 5, and hence there is practically no tendency for the liquid to flash into a vapor, or to leave a deposit of solidified refrigerant at or near the valve. 15, to obstruct and render variable the flow of refrigerant through the regulating valve, and hence very accurate 'results in regulation over long periods of time are obtainable.

As illustrated in iFig. 1 the pipes 17 and 20 lead the overflow of liquid refrigerant to the lower portion of the next cooler in series, and any vapor generated inthe pipes 17 and 20 rises to the cooler above and is thence conducted to the compressor. Branch pipes 24 and 25 conduct the vapor from the coolers 18 and 2l respectively to ythe trunk pipe 8., Valves 26, 27 and 2S in the branch pipes 7, 24: 'and 25` enable the amount of vapor drawn from the respective coolers 5, 18 and` 21 to be regulated, and thereby the temperature maintained in said respective coolers can be varied Within considerable limits. The bodies of brine in the tanks 2, 3 and 4 serve as reservoirs to store up negative heat during the periods that the compressor is being operated and to thus maintain cool temperatures in the boxes A, B and D during periods when the compressor is not operating, and hence the compressor is the only mechanism to be operated, and a separate brine circulating circuit and pump are dispensed with and not required.

In the modification Fig. 3 which represents the cooler of the second or third box the overflow pipe 17 is led into the upper portion of the cooler' 18 above the liquid level 19 and hence any vapor formed in tube 17 is free to escape either to the cooler above or to the cooler below, and no trap or lpocket of liquid or vapor can be formed in the overflow pipe. I consider this modification preferable where no considerable difference in temperature is to be maintained in the respective boxes, and to connect the pipes 17 and 20 near the bottom of the coolers as illustrated in Fig. 1 Where considerable dierences in temperature are required in the respective boxes. It is also an important advantage to be able to regulate the 'liquid refrigerant for the entire system at one regulating valve instead of at a plurality of regulating valves.

The apparatus herein illustrated and described is capable of considerable modification without departing from the principle of my invention.

islaam Having described my invention what I claim is:

1. A refrigerating system comprising plurality of cooling members each adapted to contain a body of liquid refrigerant and having a vapor offtake conduit leading therefrom, a liquid refrigerant supply conduit to one of said coolers and a liquid rcfrigerant conduit leading fromsaid first cooler to one or more rei'i'laining coolers to supply liquid refrigerant thereto.

2. A refrigerating system comprising a plurality of cooling members each adapted to contain a body of liquid refrigerant and having a vapor oiftake conduit leading therefrom, a liquid refrigerant supply conduit to one of said coolers, a regulating valve in said supply conduit and a liquid refrigerant conduit leading from said first cooler to one of the remaining coolersto supply liquid refrigerant thereto.

3. A refrigerating system con'iprising a plurality of cooling members each adapted to contain a body of liquid refrigerant and having a vapor offtake conduit leading therefrom, a liquid refrigerant supply conduit to one of said coolers, and liquid refrigerant overflow conduits leading respectively from one of said vcooler members to another of said cooler members to supply liquid refrigerant from one cooler member to another.

4.- A refrigerating system con'iprising al plurality of cooling members each adapted to contain a body of liquid refrigerant and having a vapor offtake conduit leading therefrom, a liquid refrigerant supply conduit to one of said coolers, a regulating valve in said supply conduit, and a plurality of liquid refrigerant overflow conduits leading from one of said cooler members to another y of said cooler members respectively to supply liquid refrigerant to the respective cooler members.

5. A refrigerating systeml comprising a plurality of cooler members each adapted to contain a body of liquid refrigerant and having a vapor off-take conduit leading therefrom, regulating valves in said respective vapor off-take conduits to regulate the relative flow of vapor'therein, a liquid refrigerant supply conduit leading to the first of said coolers, a regulatin valve in said supply conduit, and a plurality of liquid refrigerant overflow conduits respectively leading from one of said cooler members to another of said cooler members to supply liquid refrigerant to the respective cooler members.

6. A refrigerating system comprising a plurality of cooler members each to contain a body of liquid refrigerant and having a vapor off-take conduit leading therefrom, re lating valves in said` respective vapor o -take conduits to regulate the relative flow of vapor therein, a liquid refrigerant supply conduit leading to the first of said cooling members, a regulating valve in said supply conduit, and a liquid refrigerant supply conduit leading from one of said cooler members to another of said cooler members to supply liquid refrigerant by overow from one to the other of said cooler members.

7. A refrigerating system comprising a plurality of cooler members each to contain a quantity of liquid refrigerant, and a liquid refrigerant supply conduit leading to the.

first cooler member, and thence successively by overflow of the liquid refrigerant from 1Ique to another of the remaining cooler memers.

8. In a refrigerating system a cooler member to contain a quantity of liquid refrigerant, a Vapor off-take conduit leading therefrom, a liquid refrigerant supply conduit leading to said cooler member, and means to maintain a uniform quantity of liquid refrigerant in said cooler member, by removing the excess liquid refrigerant therefrom.

9. In a refrigerating system a cooler member to contain a quantity of liquid refrigerant, a vapor o-take conduit leading therefrom, a liquid refrigerant supply conduit leading thereto, and an exit conduit to maintain by overflow a uniform quantity of liquid refrigerant in said cooler member and to conduct the excess of liquid refrigerant from said cooler member.

10. In a refrigerating system a cooler member to contain a quantity of liquid refrigerant, a vapor oH-take conduit leading therefrom, a liquid refrigerant supply conduit leadingto said cooler member, means to conduct heat from the liquid refrigerant in said supply conduit into the cool vapor escaping through said vapor off-take conduit, a regulating valve in said supply conduit between said conducting means and said cooler member, and means to maintain a substantially uniform liquid level of refrigerant in said cooler member, said liquid refrigerantsupply conduit being connected to said cooler member to supply precooled liquid refrigerant thereto below the normal liquid level in said cooler member..

11. In a refrigerating system a cooler member to contain a quantity of liquid refrigerant, a vapor olf-take conduit leading therefrom, a liquid refrigerant supply conduit leading thereto, means in said supply conduit to precool the liquid refrigerant by conducting heat therefrom into the cool vapor of said off-take conduit, and a regulating valve in said supply. conduit located be- 10W the level of the liquid refrigerant in said cooler, and between said cooler and said precooling means, said liquid refrigerant supply conduit being connected to said cooler member to supply precooled liquid refrigerant thereto below the normal liquid level in said cooler member.

l2. A refrigerating system comprising aV plurality of cooler members eac-h to contain a quant1ty of liquid refrigerant, and having an off-take conduit, a compressor common to all of said cooler members independent regulating valves in the respective off-take conduits, and means to supply liquid refrigerant to said respective cooler members.

4 In testlmony whereof I have alixed my signature.

CASPER W. MILES. 

